Are You Making Your Children Fat? Here's How To Correct This Common Parenting Mistake
There are simple things that you can be doing at home if you're a mum or dad, to ensure that you're not the one aiding your children's diets.
Ten years ago, a typical Primary 1 boy would easily fall between sizes 20 and 24. But now, he can be between sizes 22 and 26. Meanwhile, a regular Secondary 1 student would be around 24 to 28 inches in the past, compared to 26 to 32 inches now.
Larger uniform sizes are perhaps a consequence of the rising obesity rates among schoolchildren, which have risen in recent years from 10 per cent in 2000 to 12 per cent in 2014. Several uniform manufacturers also said they now offer a dozen or more sizes, from eight to 10 sizes a decade back.
A recent Health Promotion Board study found that if a child is overweight at age seven, he has a 70 per cent chance of growing up into an overweight or obese adult.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech last month, also advised Singaporeans to get their health checked, exercise more and watch what they eat, so as to reduce their diabetes risk.
With child obesity at record levels, it can be hard to feed your kids healthily but we've got some tricks up our sleeves to help you cultivate good eating habits for your children with the help of food authors Poppy Stamateris and Marika Gouveros. Here are their tips:
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Text: The Straits Times, Bauersyndication.com.au